The biography of Una Merkel gives a great summary of the Kentucky-born woman who often played wisecracking best friends, harebrained ingénues, and cantankerous matrons during the 1930s and ’40s.

According to BearManor Media’s website, once hailed by acclaimed director D.W. Griffith as “the greatest natural actress now in pictures,” Una Merkel (1903-1986) was a rare individual in Hollywood’s Golden Age. Kinder’s book is the first full-length biography devoted to Merkel, examining not only her extraordinary career, but also her amazing life, which may have seemed idyllic and storybook from the outside, but was actually filled with a great amount of tragedy and pain.

“Una Merkel… is a detailed look at the career of a memorable performer, an actress with the special distinction of having played Sam Spade’s secretary in the original 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon,” said Thomas Gladysz from Huffington Post. “For these and many other reasons, Kinder’s book is a fun read.”

Sean Kinder

After his presentation in the Kentucky Live! series, Kinder will be available for book signings. Sponsored by Friends of WKU Libraries, this event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Brian Coutts, Department Head for Library Public Services, at (270) 745-6121.